Colwyn official says no to voter ID rules (With Video)

Christopher Broach, judge of elections in the 1st Precinct of Colwyn, said he will not endorse the new voter ID law.

A local resident, who serves as a judge of elections in Colwyn, said he plans to fight the new voter identification law at the polls in November.

"I wanted to publicly acknowledge that as judge of elections in Precinct 1 of Colwyn Borough that I will not comply with the new voting laws as they are unconstitutional," Christopher L. Broach Sr., a Democrat, wrote in an email to the news media Wednesday morning.

The GOP-backed voter ID bill has taken a lot of heat from Democrats and civil rights groups since it was signed into law by Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in March. While Democrats argue that this law will suppress the votes of senior citizens, students, minorities, and low-income residents, Republicans argue that the law is necessary to combat voter fraud.

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Broach stated that Colwyn is a small borough where residents know one another. There are about 2,500 residents in the borough, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

Broach said he would stick to requirements in the old law. The previous law asks only people voting for the first time to show identification, including such nonphoto forms as a utility bill or bank statement.

"I am taking the stand against the new Republican voter law and hoping that anyone nationally whom has been elected to an office with the title of judge will do just that," he wrote.

In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, Broach reiterated that he was not going to enforce requirements in the new law. The law requires every voter to have a valid photo ID at the polls Nov. 6.

Broach, 46, believes the new law is unconstitutional and he wants to protect the civil rights of Republicans and Democrats in his borough. Broach is not the only one who is questioning the law.

It's currently being challenged in court by several advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union.

The trial began Wednesday at the Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg.

In addition to the suit filed against the law, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice made 16 information requests to Pennsylvania Secretary of State Carol Aichele on Monday.

Asked whether he was concerned about being penalized for not following the law, Broach said, "I'm utterly concerned, but so was Rosa Parks when she decided to sit down on a bus when the law said she shouldn't."

Pennsylvania Department of State spokesman Ron Ruman said he was disappointed that an elected official who was required to enforce election laws would choose not to. He said if Department of State officials become aware of violations on Election Day, they will report them to the local district attorney.

Ruman also provided a list of possible penalties for election officials who neglect to follow required voter ID procedures. The penalties include a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, for violation of oath of office.

In addition, a person could be fined up to $15,000 or face imprisonment of no more than seven years, or both, for permitting a voter to vote knowing that the voter is not qualified to vote or for willful fraud, according to the Department of State.

A person also could be fined up to $1,000 or face imprisonment of not more than two years, or both, for failure to perform duty, according to the Department of State. Lastly, any person convicted of violating any provision in the new law, in addition to any other penalties, would be deprived of the right of suffrage for a term of four years from the date of conviction.

In addition to PennDOT-issued IDs, other valid forms of photo ID include those from accredited Pennsylvania colleges or universities and Pennsylvania elder-care facilities. Employee IDs issued by the federal, state, county or municipal governments are also acceptable as long as they show a photo and expiration date, as are military IDs and U.S. passports.

Aichele also announced last week that her agency will offer a special photo ID card for voters who are unable to obtain birth certificates or other documents for nondriver IDs issued by PennDOT.